Stamford High School Athletics Honored With Sportsmanship Awards

STAMFORD, CT — What student-athletes do between the lines is important, but what they do in the community is perhaps even more paramount.

In recognition of their continued dedication to sportsmanship and service to the community, the Stamford High School Athletic Department has received two coveted awards: the 2022-2023 Michaels Jewelers Cup Award, and, according to SHS Athletic Director Chris Passamano, the Fred Balsamo Sportsmanship Award, both from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC).

All recipients of the Balsamo Award will be announced and honored at a conference in early October.

"The awards are about more than sportsmanship. It's community service, it's community involvement, and from my perspective, it's community representation and giving back to the community," Passamano told Patch. "High school sports are about teaching young men and women how to be productive adults. Part of that is teaching them the value of being productive members of your community."

Schools that are part of the CIAC’s Class Act program can be considered for the Michaels Jewelers Achievement Cup Award.

The Michaels Jewelers Cup Committee recognized 29 CIAC athletic programs for their willingness to subscribe to the Class Act sportsmanship standards, which empowers students to take an active role in their school climate and continue their support for community service.

Balsamo is the executive director for the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors Association (CAAD). The award named in his honor is given to schools that demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship and provide an enjoyable experience for students in athletics.

This is the third year in a row SHS has won the award.

There are several community initiatives that student-athletes, coaches and staff take part in that Passamano is proud of.

The annual Pink Out event raises awareness and funds for cancer research through t-shirt sales and donations. Over the last 10 years, SHS has donated over $100,000 to cancer research, with a large portion going to the Bennett Cancer Center at Stamford Hospital.

This year's event will not only honor all of those who have had cancer, but two SHS staff members who died from cancer over the past year, Mike Buccciarelli and Curtis Tinnin.

The Pink Out t-shirts, which are available for purchase online, were inspired by Tinnin and the life lessons he tried to instill in his student-athletes.

Pink Out week leads up to the Pink Out football game and homecoming dance, which are scheduled for Oct. 28.

Another initiative the SHS Athletic Department takes part in is the annual Thanksgiving drive in which families of athletes, staff and coaches purchase traditional sides to a Thanksgiving meal, assemble and pack the meals to-go, and offer $20 gift cards to grocery stores for families and individuals in need.

In the past, SHS has partnered with SilverSource, the nonprofit agency that provides services and resources for older adults in need in the Stamford area, to distribute the Thanksgiving meals.

Passamano said he hopes to start a new event this winter in which the department puts together essential bags for homeless people.

Aside from these big initiatives, SHS athletic teams are constantly involved in the community on a smaller scale, Passamano said.

"Every team goes out and finds community service," he said. "We've got 30 teams, and each team goes and does something. That's 30 times our teams are out in the community doing some good for people... I'm really proud of our kids and coaches, and really proud of the fact that we're more than just athletes and more than just students. We're trying to do good in the community and take care of our own."